Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Paleolithic site of Rozel, also known as the Pou site, is a prehistoric deposit located in the commune of Rozel in the Manche department of Normandy. Discovered in 1967 by Yves Roupin thanks to coastal erosion, it reveals levels of Neanderthal occupation dated about 80,000 years (recent Middle Paleolithic). The site is distinguished by the exceptional conservation of 1,500 footprints of feet and hands (up to 2,000 in 2020), as well as traces of activities such as slaughter areas, fireplaces and flint tools. These remains, fossilized under layers of oxide-rich sand, offer a unique testimony on the social life and techniques of Neanderthalians.

The site is integrated with a pleistocene dune on the tip of the Pou, exposed to accelerated marine erosion. Since 2012, annual excavations, led by Dominique Cliquet (DRAC Normandie), have saved the remains threatened. Discoveries include d'aurochs, cervids and walrus bones, bird feathers (pygargues, gulls) probably used for trimming, and Levallois flint and quartz tools. In 2023, the site was listed in the Historic Monuments for its global scientific value, being one of the few to reveal the composition of a Neanderthal group (adults, adolescents, children) and their locomotor approach.

Analyses show that the site was occupied seasonally (fall-spring) by about 10 individuals in a cool and humid climate. The prints, studied by Jérémy Duveau (National Museum of Natural History), reveal sizes ranging from 66 cm to 1.89 m, including a 2-year-old. Proteomics have identified hunted animal species, while shale outbreaks have shown smoking techniques to conserve meat. Compared to the Spanish site of El Sidrón, the Rozel is today a unique conservatory of the Middle Paleolithic, with more than 2,000 prints — a record in Europe.

The history of the site is marked by urgent excavations since 1969 (Frédéric Scuvée) and a monograph in 1984 (Scuvée & Verague). In the face of erosion, a protective rocking has been installed, and the methods of excavation have evolved (metal brilliance, brushes, geolocation). Recent discoveries, such as feathers from 25 species of migratory birds, suggest cultural exchanges and symbolic use of resources. The site also illustrates the adaptation of Neandertalians to a coastal environment, with a specialized lithic industry and a spatial organization of activities (bouchery, tool size).

In 2019, a study in Quaternary Geochronology (Mercier et al.) confirms optical luminescence dating. The site, threatened by rising waters, is the subject of an associative (SOSNeanderozel) and media mobilization. His scientific contributions — paleoichnology, behavioural archaeology, climatology — make it a major milestone to understand Homo neanderthalensis. The excavations continue every summer, with a multidisciplinary team analysing the footprints, the organic residues and the tools, in the urgent need to preserve this heritage before its disappearance.

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